Timeless Summer Wedding in the Chicago Suburbs
Tara & Ryan said “I do” on a beautiful Chicago Saturday in the height of summer. It was a gorgeous, heartfelt and fun celebration of love.
Though we had enough clear umbrellas on deck to equip an army, we thankfully did not have to use them once and instead were met with beautiful sunshine the entire day. Speaking of an army, Tara & Ryan spent their wedding day surrounded by a huge amount of people who each exuded deep personal connections with the couple and their families. Every single person in attendance had incredible hype person energy the whole day; it was so much fun to be in the presence of.
Just a few of many highlights from the day:
Tara’s emotional first look with her dad. Her mom escorted her dad in place, and he was immediately overwhelmed with emotion of seeing his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. Tara’s mom and sister were also in the room to observe the beautiful moment, and the four of them had a quiet moment before her parents drove her to the church to marry the love of her life.
The energy of their bridal party. During portraits, they were all so pleasant, patient and fun. Tara & Ryan gave them all matching sunglasses and produced some badass looking wedding party portraits. Their semi-choreographed mass entrance to the reception was the perfect embodiment of rolling out the red carpet for the VIPs, the new Mr. & Mrs. Swartzy.
The speeches during the reception, particularly Tara’s dad’s speech, left not a dry eye in house. Each speech was perfectly heartfelt and witty, reflecting on the couple’s individual characters, their journey together and their deep love for each other.
One of the most iconic reception moments I’ve witnessed was Tara’s literal show-stopping performance of Celine Dion’s iconic “My Heart Will Go On.” The photos of her performance below speak for themselves. Everyone’s faces and the energy and excitement in the room, but mainly Ryan’s face and adoration of Tara during her performance was just the best.
T&R are the best hype people for each other, surrounded by the best hype people for the two of them together. Wishing these two nothing but love, health & happiness in the years to come.
Tara’s 5-star review: “Gretchen is absolutely AMAZING!! Our wedding photos turned out beautifully and Gretchen helped to make our day run so smoothly! She was always quick to respond, organized, and helped us bring our vision to life. I would HIGHLY recommend Gretchen as your photographer. On top of being an amazing photographer she is also the kindest person in the world! I am so happy we had the chance to work with her!”
Creative Partner Team
Venue: Chevy Chase Country Club
Videographer: Michael & Kristin Williams
Band: Bluewater Kings Band
Florals: Blooming Flowers
Transportation: Way To Go Limousine
Bridal Shop: Reddington Bridal
Tux: Formally Modern
Photographer: Gretchen Wittry Photography
